11/14/2023 0 Comments Wow classic heart of the wild herb![]() ![]() peruvianum or Lepidium meyenii, with the latest opinion favoring peruvianum. There is a debate whether the Maca sold today is L. In Peru they are eaten as is or made into jam, pudding, porridge, soda even a fermented drink called Maca Chicha. peruvianum roots have a tangy, sweet taste similar to butterscotch. They can be stored dry for as long as seven years. It has the highest frost tolerances of all plants and takes seven to nine months to produce a root, which can be eaten fresh or dried. ![]() Maca is hardy, being cultivated high in the Andes at altitudes from 8,000 to 14,500 feet. ![]() The leaves and seeds tell them apart but their use is the same. Some species in some places are biennial, rosetting one year, growing up and seeding the next.There are actually four very common Lepidiums and variations in all of North America. First the plant produces a low rosette of deeply cut basal leaves, then vertical growth and seeding. The flowers are on elongated racemes, which lends them to the classic description of looking like a small bottle brush. If you have a Peppergrass with really large seeds it might be Thlaspi arvense, an edible relative.Īs with all mustards, it has a tiny four-petal flower, whitish-yellow with two stamen. The leaves contain protein, vitamin A and are rich in Vitamin C. ![]() The root, ground and mixed with vinegar is a good substitute for horseradish. The young leaves can be added to salads or soups - they are peppery. While in many places Lepidium is a winter and spring visitor, it is a year round plant here in Florida though it is most noticeable and happiest in winter here. A bottle brush of seeds helps identify it ![]()
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